Salutations.
I'm running a few campagins. Right now, everyone is lower level...and everything is fine. However, I know I've got a few, very experienced players who have already got their characters planned out for 20 levels, and know how to pull some tricks out of their sleeves, especially at higher level.
I was curious, how do GM's handle some of the higher level spells and combos that seem over powered.
For example... Mass Suffocate (Causes a whole group to choke and die. If you save, you're not safe because you have to make save EVERY round until you drop out). Or...let's say, a pit trap with prismatic wall at the bottom (It's the fall of your life!) Or...better yet... Time stop+Pit trap (right below the mob or group of mobs)+Prismatic wall?
It's not a big deal if this is used once in a while...but what stops a smart player or two from using combos (or spells like Mass Suffocate) over and over again to great effect?
I'd like to know what you think.
Phil
This is difficult to answer since each spell would lead to a different situation. But as for counters to the few you mention..
Mass suffocate: there are plenty of creatures that don't need to breath.
Pit trap with a prismatic wall... the trick as the DM is to get them to waste this on lackeys.
Barring that make the boss resistant to this "trick", there are a number of ways: Contingency feather falls or fly spells, creatures just to big to fall in. etc.
any high level spells the party has access too are available to you as the DM as well. Plus you have the added benefit of being allowed to make things up. Passwall getting on your nerves.. put the lair in the heart of a volcano. The first one that opens a tunnel into an active lava tube will give the party pause. ( um your spell just carved a tunnel that stopped 6 inches about that river of lava.. maybe we shouldn't use that anymore)
Thanks for the reply... I totally didn't catch that the first save kills off Mass Suffocate. That makes it feel a lot more balanced now. Of course, if the party has a couple of bad rolls there (namely the people who can dispel it), it could still be pretty bad, pretty quick. Most other 'instantly deadly' spells seem to either have a 2nd saving throw (Weird, for example) or a condition (Power Word Kill, for example). Is there any other mass spell that's quite so deadly as to make any mobs/party members who fail ONE save to become unconscious (And quickly on their way to death).
Ralantar: Thanks for the tip. I'm going to keep that in mind. Waves of lackys FTW! Like you said, any high level spell they have, I have access to (as DM) and then some. That's my big concern at the end of the day. How would the party feel if they had a TPK because of one or two spells? It's one thing to lose after a decent battle (which usually gives you SOME chance for retreat). It's another to just die right there on the spot when one or two wizards cast XYZ in round 1 :p